Black Friday Tips and Links
Before we start while you aren’t going to run out and buy a house today, the end of November and December are statistically when homes sell at their lowest prices. So if you are really looking for a home don’t let the holiday festivities derail your search.
1: Time the Sales
I always tell my clients not to make expensive purchases before closing bc the mortgage company is monitoring your credit and that can actually cost you your loan. But once you do close, I encourage everyone to time their major purchases with sales. If you were waiting on getting furniture, the big screen TV, or even the air fryer those are all items you can pick up today or on Cyber Monday at their lowest cost.
2: Price Compare
Some stores like Target price compare, but today it’s going to be so crazy it may not be worth the hassle. My suggestion is to get a good idea of what the sales are at each place. Sites like savingdollarsandsense.com show you how much popular items are at various stores and blackfriday.com shows you the ads of major stores all in one place.
3: Don’t forget about Rakuten!
Almost every major retailer with the exception of Amazon is on Rakuten and it’s just stupid not to use them. You get a bonus for signing up with them and you literally get a percentage back on items you were going to buy anyway. If you don’t already have an account you sign up at: https://www.rakuten.com/referral/default.do#.
What I love about Rakuten is you can stack the savings with discounts or store rewards as well as credit card rewards. Last year, I got Under Armor sneakers on sale and used my Amex rewards, as well as getting cash back on Rakuten. We also did this with our Love Sack couch not only on Black Friday but around different holidays.
4: Don’t Limit Your Purchases to Common Gift Items.
Almost everything is on sale. Today I got a Colgate teeth whitening kit on sale. My sister is a teacher she has a ton of Post-it notes, especially the easel-size ones in her cart, I saw her checking out the Glow Forge website, which is an engraver, they had a good sale so look at individual product websites too.
5: You May Want to Wait
Do your research you may want to wait. For example, when it comes to major appliances, hold off. Typically you save more on the big ticket items like fridges, stoves, washers, and dryers, just before the end of the year. If you can hold out, shop for these at the end of December as a New Year’s Eve purchase.
Bonus Tip: Reflect on Hosting
While not a savings tip, this is a good home-buying tip. Reflect on yesterday, within reasonable expectations for your budget what are your must haves or wants. These are typically highlighted while entertaining. I have one client who really wants two dishwashers or a kitchen set up that he can easily add a second dishwasher. I personally have an open concept and love that I can cook and talk to everybody in the living room and dining room. If you host holidays, having a formal dining room may be a must for you and that’s something you need to keep in mind in the future.